The Thin Divide
by TheFreakWithTheWings
Summary: Darth Vader hated Senator Amidala, suspected rebel. Senator Amidala despised the monster Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker, on the other hand, was quickly falling in love with Padmé, who felt similarly about him. An attempt to write romance with secret identities.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So this story idea started when I noticed that an alarming number of Sith!Anakin/Darth Vader and Padmé fics had Anakin being a huge jerk to Padmé while Padmé usually ended up compromising on her ideals in order to be with him. This fic is a challenge to myself to write a Vader/Padmé fic where Vader is as instantly infatuated with Padmé as Anakin was in canon and where Padmé doesn't give up her beliefs and principles for love. Also I'm a huge sucker for dramatic irony, and there's so much of it when secret identities get involved.

Vader hated politics and politicians alike with a burning passion. He hated the Senate, the Senate building, the Senators, and everyone who worked there.

Unfortunately for Vader, his Master had decided it was high time he learned about the political aspects of the Empire, so he had to shadow Mas Amedda for three months. It was a ridiculous waste of time, time he could be spending drilling the military, refining his lightsaber technique, or achieving a deeper understanding of the Force. But no, his Master had willed it, and so it would be done.

One of the worst parts of the whole ordeal, Vader reflected as he hovered behind the Grand Vizier, was how slow he moved. Amedda walked through the Senate building at a stately pace, nodding pleasantly to each of the Senators he saw.

As Amedda approached an intersection of hallways, Vader had only a moment's warning through the Force before someone ran into the Grand Vizier.

"Forgive me, Grand Vizier," the person said, pulling back to reveal the ornate hair and painted face of Senator Amidala before she bowed. The two handmaidens flanking her bowed as well.

Vader's face twisted into a grimace of distaste underneath his mask.

"Do not worry, my dear," Amedda reassured. "Neither of us were looking where we were going."

"Of course." Her lips lifted into a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It is always a pleasure to see you."

"Why thank you. May I introduce you to Lord Vader, head of the Imperial military?" Amedda gestured to him.

The Senator turned her gaze upon him, her smile fading and her eyes as cold as the snows of Hoth. "It is an honor, Lord Vader."

Vader silently nodded back. He would not deign to acknowledge her any further.

It was well known that Senator Amidala espoused ideas just this side of sedition, however, Vader suspected that she was a Rebel. He didn't have enough proof for an arrest, and the Senator was too beloved by the Empire for her to disappear without a trace, so he could do nothing but wait for her to slip. No one could maintain a façade forever.

The Senator made her excuses and, with another bow, hurried away to do whatever it was politicians did to fool their people into believing they were actually working.

Vader dismissed her from his mind.

0o0o0

Padmé kept a tight grip on her emotions as she, Sabé, and Dormé hurried down the wide halls of the Senate building. It was only once they were back in her office that she allowed her anger and frustration to show on her face.

"Despicable," she spat. "They're all utterly despicable."

"My lady, please don't say such things here," Sabé said. "We have no way of knowing who might be listening."

Padmé sighed. "Alright, but tonight we're taking a break."

Taking a break was a code phrase they had come up with two weeks into Padmé's term as Senator. On days when the stress of her job became too much, Padmé and one of her handmaidens would sneak out to a bar in one of the lower levels of Imperial Center in disguise and not worry about politics for a few hours. She only allowed herself one day a month to do so, but she really needed it tonight, after having her bill to reduce military spending fail in a committee again, not to mention meeting Darth Vader.

"Of course, my lady," Sabé said with a small smile.

Padmé spent the rest of her day slogging through paperwork and carefully composing another bill, eagerly anticipating the end of her workday.

Finally, a glance at the chrono on her desk told Padmé that she had been working for a solid ten hours, so she packed up her desk. Sabé and Dormé were waiting for her.

As soon as she got home, her handmaidens removed all but the lowest layer of her intricate dress and helped her wash the face paint off her face. They left her to chose her own outfit and makeup for their outing, too busy choosing their own clothing.

They used hooded cloaks to conceal their identities and snuck out as night was falling. It was Sabé's turn to choose the destination, so they ended up at a club near a speeder racetrack.

They split up once they entered the club. Padmé found an empty table where she could sip her brightly colored drink in peace and enjoy the noisiness of the club. Dormé hit the dance floor, while Sabé almost immediately left for the racetrack. They would meet up again after three hours to return home.

The pulsing music drove all thoughts of work from Padmé's mind, and the alcohol buzzed pleasantly underneath her skin. She could feel her good mood returning.

Suddenly, a tall man with dark blonde hair and bright blue eyes emerged from the crowd and pulled out a chair from her table.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Anakin. Do you mind if I sit here?"


	2. Chapter 2

Padmé raised her eyebrows at Anakin, a gesture she had been taught that humans interpreted as 'please explain.' It was a very efficient way of getting extra information out of people when she was Queen or Senator Amidala, and a good way to get the men or women who flirted with Padmé to reveal something about themselves.

"It's just that you look really beautiful and kind, like an angel, the ones that live on the moons of Iego. I mean, what I imagine they look like because I've never been to Iego," Anakin rambled.

For example, Anakin had just revealed himself to be kind of a dork, albeit an attractive one.

Padmé lowered her eyebrows, but couldn't prevent a giggle from escaping. "You're funny."

A red flush spread over Anakin's cheeks as he smiled wide enough for the corners of his eyes to crinkle. "Thanks."

He pulled out a chair and sat down when she gestured at it. He stared at her, seemingly content to just bask in her presence. It was fortunate that Padmé was skilled at making small talk, otherwise she suspected that she would have grown uncomfortable with the intensity of his stare.

"So, where are you from, Anakin?" Padmé asked, figuring that talking about homeworlds was an easy enough topic.

Anakin grimaced. "Tatooine."

Padmé couldn't help but be curious as to why Anakin hated his homeworld so much. All she knew about it was that it was at the edges of the Empire's reach and mostly controlled by criminals.

"What's so bad about it?" she asked.

"Well, it's controlled by the Hutts," Anakin began.

Some of Padmé's disgust with the gangsters must have shown on her face because Anakin snorted.

"Exactly. And it's a desert planet, so it's covered in sand."

"I like sand," Padmé said, not because she had any strong feelings about it, but because she wanted to see how Anakin would react. She was not disappointed.

Anakin stared at her as if she had just said that she intended on stabbing him in the back. "How could you possibly like sand, Angel? It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere!"

Padmé started snickering. Anakin had looked so scandalized that she couldn't help it.

"Woe is me," Anakin exclaimed dramatically, flopping back in his chair. "My Angel laughs at my pain, as if it was nothing!"

"My name is Padmé, not Angel," Padmé said.

"Do you mind if I call you Angel anyways?" Anakin asked.

Padmé shrugged. It didn't matter much to her either way, and she doubted she would see Anakin after tonight.

"So, Padmé," Anakin said slowly, rolling her name around in his mouth as if he was tasting it. "Are you here for the races?"

Oh kriff.

0o0o0

Padmé was fairly sure that her cheeks would be sore in a few hours from smiling so much, and her lips faintly tingled from the force of the kiss she'd snuck from Anakin before he'd had to leave. She didn't regret a single second.

They had plans to meet up next week at the same place, and Padmé couldn't wait.

Dormé and Sabé were sure to tease her about the infatuated look on her face, but Padmé didn't care.

0o0o0

If Vader had known that stopping for a drink after his illegal racing would have resulted in meeting someone like Padmé, he would have done it a lot sooner. Although, he doubted there was anyone like Padmé in the entirety of the galaxy.

It wasn't just that she was beautiful or smart - there were plenty of women who were smart and beautiful - but her presence in the Force was just so _good_ and bright. He had honestly mistaken her for an angel at first because of it. She also had an inner core of strength, a sense of self steady enough to rival any of the Jedi Vader had faced, that he couldn't help but want to see in action.

He was eternally grateful that she wasn't strong enough in the Force to have been a Jedi though. The thought of having to destroy that magnificence almost made him physically ill. He might have just been content to bask in her presence and burn under her light.

Vader was almost positive that he was falling in love with her.

His Master had warned him against falling in love with a woman - the possibility that Vader might be attracted to humans of any gender never crossed his mind - but even being on the verge of love felt _so_ good. Vader had had so few good things after he'd come into his Master's possession that he was willing to push at that rule, even break it if it came down to it.

He didn't care.

0o0o0

Obi-Wan Kenobi was deep in his meditation when a sudden shift in the Force launched him out of it.

He cursed under his breath - knowing that there was no way he was going to be able to meditate again.

It had been difficult for Obi-Wan to meditate ever since his Master had been killed by Imperial forces seven years ago, two days after his trials. The Masters said that he had too much anger in him to do it, that he needed to release his emotions into the Force. Obi-Wan disagreed. Even though he rarely achieved true meditation, he still listened to the Force, as his Master had instructed. His talents lay with the Unifying Force rather than the Living Force that had been Qui-Gon's specialty, but the practice was similar.

The Force had never advised him to let go of his emotions.

In fact, at times the Force seemed to encourage emotions, such as when it gave him a Lifebond potential with Satine Kryze. Neither of them had acknowledged it, but it was still there. Obi-Wan still loved her, and if she ever asked he would leave the remains of the Jedi Order.

Instead of letting his emotions go, Obi-Wan had learned to deal with them, to control them, and he felt like a more balanced Jedi because of it, even if he still couldn't meditate very often.

He pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the stares of the other Jedi in the meditation chamber that he had disturbed. Getting as deep into a meditation trance as he had was exhausting, and all he wanted was to collapse onto his bunk until he was needed again.

The Jedi he passed in the halls, on the other hand, avoided his gaze. They thought that he was as Gray as Qui-Gon had been - which was probably true. He didn't know if they didn't look him in the eyes because they thought his Gray tendencies were contagious but it was the most amusing scenario he had imagined. It had allowed him to master outer serenity for the simple reason that he no longer cared what other Jedi thought of him.

Obi-Wan still followed the Council because the Jedi were the biggest threat to the Empire and he wanted the Empire to pay for Qui-Gon's death, but he knew the Council worried about losing him to Mandalore.

It didn't matter at the moment, though. Obi-Wan pushed all thoughts from his mind as he fell onto his bunk, sleep swiftly claiming him.


	3. Chapter 3

Dormé and Sabé were more than a little surprised that Padmé wanted to take a break for the second week in a row.

"Are you feeling okay?" Sabé asked, resting her hand on Padmé's forehead.

"I'm fine, Sabé," Padmé laughed, pushing Sabé's hand away. "I just felt like we should take breaks more often, that's all."

"I don't know," Dormé said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Padmé taking _this_ many breaks is surely a sign of the end of the world."

Padmé rolled her eyes. "You two are being ridiculous."

"It's your choice this time, Padmé," Sabé said. "Where are we going?"

Padmé pretended to think it over for a moment as she donned her cloak. "Hmm, maybe we could go to the same place we went last time."

Dormé raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you interested in racing?"

"I figured it would be in my best interest to learn more about it," Padmé said vaguely.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you," Sabé said, her expression hidden beneath her own cloak as she rested her hand on Padmé's shoulder. "Now let's get going, otherwise we're going to miss the race."

0o0o0

"You see the one in second?" Sabé asked idly, leaning up against the railing of the underground race track.

"Yeah," Padmé said, looking at the screen Sabé was projecting of the course.

"That's Skywalker. He's the best, rarely ever loses. He's probably just biding his time before he takes the lead."

"Huh," Padmé commented, watching the race without any real interest, trying to stave off her boredom.

After several minutes of silence between the two friends, Sabé asked "So why did you really want to come here?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Padmé said.

"Come on, Padmé, we both know you've been bored since you got here."

"I have not," Padmé said indignantly.

Sabé shot her an unimpressed look.

Padmé sighed, figuring that it was safer if at least one of her handmaidens knew what was going on. "I'm meeting someone at the club nearby once the race is over."

Sabé raised her eyebrows. "Oh? I'm going to need more details than that."

"Well, his name is Anakin, he's from Tatooine, and he's a pretty good kisser," Padmé listed off. "And I'd prefer if you could hold off on the background checks until at least the third date."

Sabé sighed as if Padmé had just handed her a great burden. "Fine."

Padmé was fairly sure that Sabé would investigate Anakin as soon as the race was over, but she also thought that she would wait until the third date to tell her what she'd found.

"So tell me more about the racers," Padmé said, unsubtly switching the topic of conversation.

Sabé's eyes lit up with excitement and she proceeded to talk Padmé's ear off until the race was over.

0o0o0

Vader didn't usually visit racetracks twice in a row- there was too big of a risk of being caught. However, he'd snuck away with plenty of time to kill before he needed to meet up with Padmé, and he couldn't resist the temptation. It wasn't as dangerous or exhilarating as podracing, nor as freeing as piloting, but it was fun.

There were a few times that Vader thought he might have caught a hint of Padmé's Force signature in the stands. The thought of her watching him race made him want to show off and impress her.

Vader pulled ahead of the person in first place, no longer content to get second on this race. After that, it was child's play to win.

"Skywalker wins!" the announcer cheered. He continued to say more, but Vader ignored him with an ease born of practice.

He left his mask on as he did some last minute checks to his speeder and collected his winnings. It wasn't the same mask he wore when he was acting as Heir to the Empire, but the people who kept the races running were used to his eccentricities.

Padmé was sitting up close to the edge, next to a woman who looked enough like her to be her twin. Having located her, Vader had a brief dilemma: wait for her in the club like the had agreed or seek her out now.

No matter which way he looked at it, Vader couldn't find any downside to seeing Padmé now, so he pushed his way through the crowd to get to her side.

"Hi Angel," Vader said.

Padmé whirled around, her hand falling to her hip as if she was reaching for a blaster. The other woman had a similar reaction.

What did they do, Vader wondered, that their automatic reaction to being surprised was to reach for a weapon? Was Padmé a criminal? Vader almost immediately dismissed that thought. She was too good for crime.

"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion and her body tensing.

Padmé relaxed, her hand falling back to her side. "Anakin, you startled me. I thought you were some kind of creepy stalker."

"So is it Anakin or Skywalker?" the other woman asked shrewdly.

"Both?" Vader said, hating the rise in his voice that turned his statement into a question.

The other woman pursed her lips thoughtfully, staring at him. Vader was fairly sure that if he didn't already have experience being stared down by beings far larger than her he would have been very intimidated. Finally, she leaned forward and said "If you hurt her, I will skin you alive."

Vader blinked. "I see. Thank you for the warning, although I doubt you'll need it."

Padmé groaned and dropped her face into her hands.

The woman straightened up. "Anyways, I'm going to get going. It was nice meeting you, Anakin Skywalker."

"Wait, Sabé, where are you going?" Padmé asked.

"You're not the only one with a hot date tonight," she said with a smirk. "I'll see you back at the apartment."

Sabé slipped into the crowd and was gone.

"I'm sorry about her," Padmé said.

Vader shrugged. "It's alright. That's not even the worst threat I've ever gotten."

At Padmé's horrified look, Vader realized that he might have said something wrong. Great. She probably thought he was a criminal now.

He couldn't detect any fear in her Force signature though, so he held out his arm and asked "Shall we go?"

0o0o0

Once upon a time, Satine Kryze had put down her weapons and chosen a pacifist's path. Once upon a time, the main governing body of the galaxy had been a republic. Once upon a time, the Death Watch had been a terrorist group dedicated to remaking Mandalore into an Empire.

That had been before the Sith.

The majority of her people had only been happy to accept her as her leader when she'd proven that a desire to do no harm didn't mean she was incapable of it. And those who'd tried to remove her from her position had soon learned that she and Bo-Katan, well known for her ruthlessness, had been taught by the same person.

Satine had given up on her ideals in order to keep her people free from the Sith Empire, and now the systems under Mandalorian protection were the largest collection in the galaxy free from Imperial rule. The Empire had spent too many resources trying and failing to take over Mandalore to challenge them again for a long time.

Unfortunately, that made them a desirable ally for the Rebels. Wait, no, they were calling themselves the Alliance to Restore the Republic now, her mistake.

Satine was seriously considering unholstering one of her vibroblades and cleaning it as the latest Rebel ambassador, a well dressed Gran, droned on about the benefits of joining forces. At least that way she'd actually get something productive done. If the ambassador interpreted it as a threat and hurried up with his speech, so much the better. She doubted it would work though. Satine wasn't known for her reckless displays of violence like her sister was.

Maybe she could get Korkie to meet up with the next ambassador. Satine had already heard numerous variations on the same argument and wasn't interested, but it would be good practice for him as her heir.

The ambassador finished up his speech while she was debating whether or not to just give Korkie the role of Official Diplomat of Mandalore and be done with it. He stared up at her expectantly, all three of his eyes trained on the visor of her helmet.

"I thank you for that very enlightening speech, Ambassador," she said politely, ignoring Bo-Katan's stifled snort of amusement. "However, our stance remains the same: we will not join the Alliance to Restore the Republic and risk the Empire attacking some of our more vulnerable systems in retribution. Mandalore takes care of its own first. We are however, still open to accepting refugees from the Empire."

The ambassador bowed, irritation clear on his face. "Thank you for your time, Duchess."

Satine pulled off her helmet as soon as the ambassador had left the room and sighed.

"Well, that was fun," Bo-Katan said from her position to the left of Satine's throne.

Satine barely refrained from rolling her eyes. "I'm going to have Korkie meet the next one."

"That's cruel," Bo-Katan laughed. "I like it."

Satine smiled then pulled up her schedule. "What's next?"


	4. Author Update

After doing a lot of bashing my head against my notebooks and trying to figure out how to get the plot of The Thin Divide to work with me, I've decided to rewrite it - with a little change. I'm making it a soulmate AU, just because I can't write developing romances to save my life right now, and that will be a step along the way to getting better at it. I'm going to try and finish some other fics before I start writing it though. Once I do, I'll be starting another fic, and I'll post another note here with a link.

Also, I feel that I should warn that the fic was originally intended to eventually ship Obi-Wan/Anakin/Padmé/Satine together once I got around to it.


End file.
